Indulge in a delicious twist on a classic dessert that's been enjoyed for decades. My version, a butterscotch pineapple upside down cake baked in a loaf pan, then flipped over and drizzled with a rich and creamy butterscotch sauce.

The flavors are impressively decadent, yet it's surprisingly easy to bake. With each bite, you'll savor the juicy sweetness of the pineapple and the buttery richness of the butterscotch sauce.

The perfect any time any day dessert!

If it's your first time making these muffins, the visual guide and frequently asked questions and tips in the post will be helpful to you. Or else simply skip to the full recipe at the end of this post.

How to make Butterscotch Pineapple Upside Down Cake - visual guide

This is just a visual guide so you can see the process. When you are baking, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.

Add melted butter to the loaf pan, leaving it to puddle evenly at the bottom then sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar
Arrange the pineapple slices in a single layer on top of the sugar. Set aside.

Place the egg yolks into a large bowl.

Beat the egg yolks until pale in color and thick (this should take about one to two minutes when using an electric beater on medium speed

Add sugar and beat well.

Add the vanilla extract and pineapple juice, and mix to combine.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the batter.

Beat on medium speed until combined and set aside.

Rinse the batter mixture off the beaters and place the egg whites into a separate bowl.

Using the clean beaters, start beating the egg whites

Beat until the egg white form firm peaks. (This should take about 2 to 3 minutes when using an electric beater on medium high speed. (See note 4)

Use a spatula to gently fold the beaten egg whites

Combine to form a smooth batter

Pour the batter into the loaf pan and carefully spread to the edges of the pan.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes and Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes.

Place either a cooling rack, cake plate or stand over the top of the cake

Carefully turn it out of the pan and onto a serving plate or onto another cooling rack

Make the Butterscotch sauce

Melt butter in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat.

Once the butter has melted, add the brown sugar and a pinch of salt. Whisk for about 10 seconds to combine

Pour in the cream

Whisk occasionally, while bringing to a gentle bubble for about 5 - 10 minutes.

Take the pan off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract (if using). The butterscotch sauce will thicken as it cools.

Drizzle the butterscotch sauce over the still warm cake.

Frequently asked questions

Why do we need to beat the egg yolks and whites separately?

When eggs are separated, the yolks and whites serve different purposes in baking.

Yolks add richness to a batter, while the egg whites act as a natural leavening agent producing a fluffy soft textured cake.

If the eggs are not separated, their only function will be as a binding agent, which can produce a denser and heavier texture.

That is why it's important to beat the yolks and whites separately ensuring their properties are used to their full potential, for a cake that has both rich flavor and a fluffy, soft texture.

How long does it take to beat egg whites and yolks separately?

The egg yolks are beaten for about 1 ½ minutes on high speed with an electric beater until pale yellow in color.

The egg whites are beaten for about 2 -3 minutes on medium high speed with an electric beater until firm peaks form.

Firm peaks are formed when you lift the whisk or beaters from the beaten egg whites and the peaks keep their shape.

However, it's important to note that beaters can vary in strength, so the time it takes to achieve firm peaks may vary as well, especially with more powerful beaters.

To make sure the egg whites are at the correct consistency, stop the beater every 30 seconds during the 2-3 minute suggested time and lift it off the egg whites, testing if it forms firm peaks.

How can I substitute for the canned juice when using fresh pineapple?

First, slice the 3 rings of pineapple (for arranging at the bottom of the cake pan)

Cut the remainder of the pineapple into a few chunks (about 1 cup, roughly chopped).

Puree the chunks in either a blender or food processor or (electric juicer, if you have one)

Then strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth until you've collected ⅓ cup (80ml) of the juice.

You can now use the fresh juice you strained instead of the canned pineapple juice in the recipe.

What's the difference between Butterscotch and Caramel?

If you're wondering what the difference between butterscotch and caramel is, it's all in the sugar.

Caramel, starts with white sugar, while butterscotch is made using brown suga

Heating the brown sugar releases the sweet, nutty, molasses flavor creating the most decadent, indulgent flavors.

Using brown sugar instead of regular sugar takes this sauce to a whole new level of deliciousness and much easier than making caramel sauce

Tips

Eggs separate more easily when cold, so, do that when you take them out of the fridge, then let them come to room temperature before beating separately.

Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper after you grease the pan. That should allow easy removal, and then you can peel the paper off of the cake.

If you are using canned pineapple, be sure to get pineapple in juice, not syrup. Syrup is too sweet plus recipe calls for some of the canned pineapple juice to be used in the cake batter.

Leave the cake in the pan for at least 10 minutes after baking before turning out onto a plate or cooling rack